As the World Falls Down
by Scooby Wannabe
Summary: Sequel series to The Moment the World Stood Still. Tells of the trials of the Warriors, the rise of the Great Twelve, the fall of the children, and their final battle. This is fun.
1. Part One: Come Together 1 of 4

**As the World Falls Down**

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**Disclaimer:  **_Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ and_ Angel_ are owned by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, David Greenwalt, UPN, the WB, blah, blah, blah…I don't own them.  If I did, the whole thing would probably be way screwed up.  I **_DO_**, however, own Lexie, Joyce, Jake, Brennan, Gavin, Ciara, Marnee, Jenny, David, Liam, Doyle, Jesse Rupert, Diana, Bruce Howard, and, well, whatever else you don't recognize in this story.  If you want them (why, I can't imagine) all one must do is ask.  I'm easy-going.

**Spoilers:**  Season Six of BTVS and Season Three of Angel.  Except I chose to ignore some stuff.  In my world Connor and Angel really do bond, there is no Angel/ Cordelia, Wesley is still good, and Spike didn't get…whatever he got, he's just chipped.  Also I made Anya mortal again.

**Rating: **PG-13 (for now).

**Summary:**  They survived a Gummie. Now can they survive each other? Working together as a team, the Scoobies and the Scrappies face the threat of the Hellmouth together. But certain things are bound to screw things up. Like how does Jen, David, and Charlie adapt to the life of a Warrior? What happens when Buffy, Willow, and Cordelia decide to play matchmaker? Who's the crazy vampiress that Brennan meets on a stroll through the graveyard? And the businesswoman named Lilah that makes an interesting offer to Jake? And what is this about an ancient prophecy foretelling the rising of the Great Warriors, twelve beings with the power to save the world…or destroy it?  Will the gang survive? Will Angelus return? Will Giles' name be cleared? Will they be able to withstand the pressure? Will Joyce's head explode when she meets a singing-dancing demon in a suede suit (that is, Lorne)? Will Gavin ever see Star Wars? Flutterby knows the answers, but is absolutely horrible at writing summaries.

**Author's Note:**  This series is the sequel to _The Moment the World Stood Still_.  This is not to be confused with the prequel series _As the World Goes Round_.  You don't necessarily need to read _As the World Goes Round to read this, but none of these fics will make sense unless you read _The Moment the World Stood Still._ _

**Author's Note 2:  **_As the World Goes Round_ is basically a fluff series.  Not much badness.  _The Moment the World Stood Still_ has mild to moderate angst.  This, however, starts out light but becomes very dark very quickly.  This is my warning.  This series is not for the young at heart.  It is rated PG-13 for now, but may become R fast.  There is a general dark air to the entire series but there will be specific references to:  death, language, torture, sexual situations, non-consensual sex, graphic violence, the whole nine yards.  Please continue with caution.

**Author's Third Note:**  To Crescendo and Lightening Bug.  They have really helped.  Cres, I know you hate this, but it had to be done.  Don't hate me!  I'm sorry!  To my little sister, my best friend and inspiration.  And to gidgetgirl, who has been a staunch supporter.  Thanks!

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**_Please proceed with caution!!!_**

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Part One:  Come Together

The night was filled with shadows.  The sky was pitch black, the feeble light of the moon and stars blocked out by the merciless clouds.  The blackness was filled with silence, for not even the insects would dare to venture in that hallowed space.  It reeked of death, which was not surprising since it was a graveyard.  

Through the thick dead of night, he ran.  He ran to the place where the long-since-dead rested to escape his own demise.  He could feel the bringers of death behind him.  They slowly stalked behind him, gaining with every lazy step even though he was running as fast as his feet could carry him.  They basked in the glow of the hunt, the death of their prey.  He had heard the stories for years but never thought it possible.  Monsters like them could not truly exist.  The world belonged to his kind.

But the monsters did exist.  He felt the cold tingles of death creeping into him.  He would not survive this night and neither would his family.  They would die.  They would be killed by their worst nightmares, the life sucked from them as if it were candy.  It was the end.

He crashed through the remaining foliage, through the door, and down the stairs of the crypt where his family had gone seeking refuge.  He looked up into their frightened faces with a heavy heart.  His brother stepped forward and watched as he got his bearings.  "Are they coming?"

He hesitated for a moment then slowly nodded, trying to show courage in the face of the others.  He looked to his brother.  "What should we do?"

"I'm not sure," the older man answered honestly.  "How many were there?"

"I couldn't tell," he replied, shivering.  "They were everywhere.  It was like they weren't human."

The small group hidden in the room shuddered as the knowledge that this would be their last night on earth swept through them.

"In there!" A high-pitched voice shouted.  

The door of the crypt started to inch open.  A split-second later it was shoved sharply against the wall and the bringers of doom swept into the room.

The female raised her eyebrows.  "See?  I told you I felt them.  But did you believe me?  No!  You have to use a four-year-old to check me out!"

The older man scoffed loudly.  "What, Jen?  You want a medal?"

"Warriors!" the vampire they had been tracking growled.

The younger boy rolled his eyes and fired the crossbow in his hands.  The arrow flew free into the air and imbedded itself in the vampire's heart.  He coughed and waved his hand to clear the dusty cloud that surrounded him.  "Hey, guys?  Can we do the whole fighting thing later and fight?"

"Shut up, David!" Jennifer Harris screamed as the group of five vampires rushed them.  She ducked a blow from the vampire that honed in on her.  She yelped and dived away from the creature.

David Osbourne sighed, ducking away from another vampire's attack while Charlie Gunn easily staked it from behind.  David nodded to the older boy.  "Thanks."

"Not a problem," Charlie murmured as he rolled out of the way of a flying kick.  

David, a bit preoccupied with his crossbow, didn't move quickly enough.  He took the blow, landing hard on his rear.  The vampire advanced on the eleven-year-old, whose eyes widened in panic.

As soon is it got close enough, it lunged.  David timed the attack, then sprung off the ground.  A moment later he fell to the ground amidst a cloud of dust.

Jenny was having a bit more luck.  Scrambling about the room on her hands and knees, she waited for Charlie to send a vampire to the ground before staking it.  Charlie staked his second vampire quickly, but took an unexpected blow that sent him to the wall.  Reaching out to pull his attacker with him, he slammed his stake downward, effectively taking care of the last of the nest.

Charlie groaned and staggered to his feet, hand on his back.  Behind him he heard a small click, then a laugh from a new voice.  "Well, the watch doesn't lie, my friend.  We have some major work to do."

Charlie, Jenny, and David turned to glare at the group that was lounging almost haughtily on the stairs of the mausoleum.  The older redhead perched beside the blonde on the right armrest swung the stopwatch around in a circle.  

David smiled bitterly at his brother and threw the crossbow at him.  "Screw you, Jake."

Brennan Angel laughed as he leaned back against the wall that ran along the back stair.  "Shamey, shamey, David.  Such language."

Marnee Osbourne rolled her eyes at the group as she shifted the yawning Liam Angel from her right hip to her left.  "Don't listen to them.  You guys were great.  You actually took out a small nest by yourselves.  And you've only been in training for a few weeks!"

Jenny smiled at the redhead for the effort.  "How long?"

"Nine minutes for six vampires," Joyce Harris replied, smacking Brennan upside the head for laughing.  "Not that bad since there were only three of you."

"_Nine minutes_?" Charlie repeated in disbelief.  "That's only two apiece.  That shouldn't have taken nine minutes."

David scowled, pushing the snickering Gavin Harris aside so he could reach the exit to the mausoleum.  "Aunt Buffy says anything over four and another vamp has had dinner."

Lexie Harris grabbed the boy's shoulder, effectively stopping him from leaving the mausoleum.  She gave him an encouraging smile.  "But you've only been in training for a few weeks.  Plus, Charlie here doesn't have any…um…"

Everyone winced at Lexie's slip, even little Doyle Angel, who had been snoozing in Ciara Angel's arms.

Charlie scowled.  "I don't have any superhero powers.  Gotcha."

"Oh, don't be like that, Charlie.  You're turning into a great fighter.  You've been making more progress than all of the others combined."

"Hey!" Jenny shouted as if she were insulted.  Then she paused, glancing back at Charlie, and shrugged.  "Well, fair enough."

It was true.  Since the day Charlie, Jenny, David, the twins, Ricky, and Diana had learned the truth about the world, Charlie had thrown himself into learning whatever anyone was willing to teach him.  He had mastered the basics of fighting within a few days and was now working with Spike, Gunn, Buffy, and Angel on the more advanced techniques.  He was progressing at a rapid rate.  But he still did not possess the distinction of having his own special power.

Jake Osbourne shook his head, glancing down at his watch.  "Whoa, look at the time.  If we don't hurry back to the warehouse, the parents are gonna figure out we let you guys go hunting with us."

"Too late."

As one, all ten teenagers cringed.  Very slowly, Jake turned.

Buffy Angel, Willow Osbourne, and Xander Harris were standing behind them.  None looked all that happy.

Jake gave his mother his most winning smile.  "Mom!  How lovely to see you!"

"Fancy meeting you here," Brennan continued, noting with dread the look on his mother's face.

Marnee immediately turned and pointed to one of the tombs in the old mausoleum.  "See that, Liam, that's where your great-aunt Ruth is buried.  Now, if you turn a little to the left--"

"What are you doing?" Ciara hissed, looking at her friend as if she had gone mad.

Marnee bit her lip and shrugged.  "Well, we thought we'd show the boys where all there relatives are buried."

Buffy turned to glare at the young redhead.  "The boys' relatives are all either up in a Los Angeles cemetery or long decayed in Ireland, except for my mom."

Gavin gulped, glancing nervously from his Aunt Buffy to his father.  "Well, it's like this--"

"Please, it's not their fault!" Jenny jumped in.  The adults turned to stare at the young teen in shock.  Jenny rushed forward and latched onto her father's arm, putting on her best pouty face.  "We asked them to go out."

David nodded enthusiastically, looking up at his mother with big eyes.  "We told them if they went on Patrol and just left us at the warehouse we'd go out on our own."

Charlie sighed and shrugged, giving Buffy a playful nudge.  "They were just trying to keep us safe.  And they couldn't leave the boys alone to fend for themselves, bein' that they're only four.  Plus, they hardly let us do a thing, making you all look easy going with the strictness and rules.  I'd be proud."

Joyce, Lexie, Jake, Brennan, Gavin, Ciara, and Marnee stared at the trio in awe.  On the balls of their feet, they had come up with a totally convincing lie.  Then again, the parents didn't need to know that Brennan and Jake had invited the three along as a good laugh, or that Doyle had actually staked a vampire his sister held down for him.

Willow scowled at her son.  Then she sighed, looking around the room.  "It smells in here.  It's a very distinctive smell."

"The smell of bullshit," Xander supplied, shaking his head impatiently.  "Well, it's after midnight.  You all need to get to bed if you're going to be up for training tomorrow."

A tremendous rushing sound hummed through the air as ten different breaths were released.  Buffy smiled, shaking her head as she took Liam from Marnee.  "Let's get you guys home."


	2. Part One: Come Together 2 of 4

Part One:  Come Together;  Chapter Two 

The next morning, Charles Gunn, Jr. sat on his bed, staring at the boxes of belongings that had yet to have been unpacked.  He had only been a resident of Sunnydale for about six weeks, but it already felt longer.  He hadn't expected this.  Well, that was the understatement of the year.  He had returned from the UCLA dorms to his large Los Angeles home expecting a nice, relaxing winter break with his family.  Instead, he had found the house empty.  It took one phone call to discover that his aunt and uncle, Cordelia and Wesley, were not in Los Angeles either.  After another phone call, his worry had melted into confused anticipation.

Charlie had called his Uncle Angel's in Sunnydale, a place that to him had only been a small town two hours north.  To his surprise, his mother had answered the phone

_"Hello, Angel residence.  Winifred Gunn speakin'."_

_"Mom?"_

_"Charlie?  Hey, hun, where are ya?"_

_"I'm at the house.  Where are you, Pop, and Ricky?"_

_"Ricky's at the Masons'.  Your dad, Cordy, Wesley, and I were needed in Sunnydale, so here we are."_

_"Oh.  Is everything okay?"_

_"Yeah.  There was just some mild confusion abou' your cousins."_

_"What did Jake, Bren, Gav, Ciara, and Marn do this time?"_

_"It's…complicated."_

_"It's always complicated with those five.  So, when are you coming home?"_

_"Well, your dad and I kinda need to talk to ya about that.  Do me a favor and go pick up Diana and Ricky from the Masons', then come on up here.  We'll spend the next few days together as a family."_

_"Oooo-kaaaayyyy.  Is it just me, or is there some serious yelling going on in the background?"_

_"Joyce and Lexie just got home.  They learned a few things that…has them a bit upset."_

_"Okay.  I'll be there in a couple hours."_

If he'd only known why Lexie and Joyce were so upset, he might not have gone to Sunnydale at all.  But he'd done what his mother had asked and took his brother and cousin to Sunnydale.  They had arrived in the late evening.  Something was wrong from the start.  The house was thrashed, though it looked as if some serious cleaning had been going on earlier.  Jake, Brennan, Gavin, Marnee, and Ciara were all lounging about, looking very worn.  Jenny, David, Liam, and Doyle were acting extremely peculiar and Lexie and Joyce were not in the least bit happy.  Suffice it to say, something serious had happened.

His parents, Cordelia, Wesley, and a bleached blond man that seemed strangely familiar had led him and the two confused children to the kitchen.  Angel had smiled as they entered and, handing the three newcomers mugs of hot chocolate, he had vanished into the living room.

_Charlie looked down at the mug in his hand and sighed.  "What's all this about?"_

_His mother smiled a little too brightly and indicated the blond man.  "Um, Charlie, do you remember your Uncle Spike?  He left on extended business when you were around four or five."_

_"Spike?" Charlie repeated, trying to recall the faded memories.  "I think I do.  You, um, you gave me those Superman pajamas I had when I was little, right?"_

_"Yeah, for Christmas."  Spike smiled and extended his hand to the young man.  "It's good to see you again, Charlie.  And you two must be Diana and Ricky.  It's a pleasure meeting you."_

_"The pleasure's all mine, I'm sure," Diana replied impassively.  The twelve-year-old raised her eyebrows at her mother and father.  "So, does all this have a point?"_

_Spike grinned at the girl, looking her over.  She had long dark hair that was pulled up into a messy ponytail.  She was dressed in green camo pants and a spaghetti-strapped hunter green tank.  "Nice to meet you, Queen D."_

_Cordelia glared at the man, then hit him on the shoulder.  "Not funny, blondie."_

_"Anyways, the point we are trying to make is that we have lied to you," Wesley answered hurriedly._

_"You lied to us?" Ricky repeated, confused._

_"Yeah, we did," his father replied.  "We wanted to give you three a fairy tale world.  One where everything was hunky-dory, where nothing could hurt you.  See, a long, long time ago--"_

_"Not that long," Cordelia muttered._

_"A while back," Gunn amended with a roll of his eyes, "we dealt with some harsh realities.  We wanted to spare you all the heartache.  So we lied."_

_"Okay," Charlie said impatiently.  "Lied about what?"_

_"The world isn't always happy," Fred said with a sad smile.  "There are bad things in the world.  Things that go bump in the night.  The monsters under the bed are real and the heroes often die tryin' to keep them under the bed.  Spike, do it."_

_"Are you sure?" he asked gently._

_"You don't know these kids," Wesley told him.  "They're much like David.  They won't believe us without any proof."_

_Spike nodded.  Charlie waited patiently as the man looked down as if to work up his courage.  When he looked back up, he wasn't the same.  Before Charlie's very eyes, he had changed into a monster._

_"Jesus H. Christ!"  Charlie bolted out of his seat, knocking it over in the process.  With one swift move, he had backed away, pulling the terrified forms of Ricky and Diana with him._

_Charlie stared at the creature before him, panting as his massive adrenaline boost rushed through his body.  Somewhere in the distance, he heard a chorus of laughs and Jake's joking voice calling out, "Charlie just learned the truth!"_

Wesley smiled at the three terrified young people and pointed to the chairs.  "Sit down.  We have a lot to talk about."

Charlie shook his head as the memory fizzled.  The discussion he and his family had had next was not something he wanted to relive.  It had boiled down to two simple facts:  1.  The world is overrun with demons and 2.  His friends and family were the superheroes that were destined to fight said demons.

It was a lot to accept.  Years of lies from his parents had hurt.  Even more painful had been the slight betrayal of his friends.  Lexie and Joyce Harris were the best friends Charlie had ever had.  Jake Osbourne was like a little brother.  The fact that they had had this secret life for so long and had kept it so well hidden from him was a sobering thought.  Charlie knew that, given time, Lexie and Joyce would have come clean eventually.  He saw the twin girls everyday for one reason or another and neither was a very good liar.  Especially Lexie.  Besides, Charlie was very practical.  Always had been.  More of a bookworm than an athlete, he knew he had a very sweet and passive nature about him.  That was why his decision was so shocking.

His decision was tough.  By the time he and his younger brother, Ricky, had come to terms with everything, his parents had already bought a house in Sunnydale not far from where Willow and Oz lived.  Ricky had been excited to move, viewing the situation as something cool and interesting.  Fred and Gunn had, however, made it clear that Charlie was expected to stay in college in LA.  Charlie just couldn't do that.  His friends were on the front lines of a war.  It was dangerous.  He had known their secret for such a very short time, but he could already see the burden they carried.  They had fought for so long with so little support, all of them, from Joyce to Marnee.  He would not let them fight alone any longer.

Charlie began the paperwork without telling anyone, not even the twins.  As his parents filled trucks with luggage and furniture, Charlie transferred grades and hours, choosing a new major that was offered at the smaller school.  He spent hours upon hours in his dorm room, packing things into crates while studying the few books Wesley would give him.

The twins found out first.  It was hard to hide when they came to his dorm that first weekend away.  They had done it every semester before, helping one another move their valuable things so they wouldn't be taken during the long holiday breaks.  But they had come to his dorm to find everything stripped, not just the big stuff.  After listening to his plan, Joyce went to the administration building and began to fill out her own transfer papers.  Lexie, refusing to be separated from her twin or her friend, transferred as well.

The next day, they had announced their plans to everyone.  Their parents were furious.  Too late, they discovered that Xander and Anya had been comforted that their two eldest daughters would have been far from the Hellmouth, safe from the fate that her brother faced.  Fred and Gunn had never wanted their son involved at all.

Joyce and Lexie resumed their fight on the Hellmouth, the same fight they had waged in Los Angeles for the past several years.  After everything had calmed down, they were welcomed back with open arms, their places as defenders of the Hellmouth well made.  Charlie had been different.

Charlie was a bookworm, not a fighter.  The small build he had inherited from his mother attested to that fact.  He was not meant to be a fighter.  But he persisted.  Jake and Joyce were the first to take the young man seriously.  Reluctantly, the two met him late at night on December 20th at the factory.  The plan had been to teach him a few basic defense moves so that he could survive on the Hellmouth.  To the pair's surprise, Charlie had soaked everything up, becoming as good as a man could be after just one night of training.  It was then that the two began to support him.  He would be a fighter.

Brennan, Gavin, and Marnee readily accepted whatever Joyce and Jake had to say.  They welcomed Charlie with welcome arms, prepared to teach him whatever they could.  Marnee had even tried to teach Charlie a few basic magic tricks, although they did not go over so well.  Ciara came onboard next after Charlie held his own in a sparring match against her.  Then came his father, proud that his son had not only willing decided to help in the fight against evil, but that he had fought for the right to help his friends.  Lexie and Fred's approval came after a long talk with Caira, Joyce, Marnee, Willow, and Buffy.  Lexie was still wary of her friend's lack of supernatural abilities, but Fred joined her husband in his proud support, albeit very reluctantly.  With the approval of Charlie's parents came the approval of all of his aunts and uncles, happy for the added help, though upset that their nephew had been drawn into the fight.

Charlie joined Jenny and David in training.  While theirs was very focused on their individual abilities, Charlie was slowly becoming proficient in several fighting techniques.  His teachers were hard on him.  He worked almost everyday with someone, whether it be with Bruce on weapons, Angel on martial arts, Buffy on style, Spike on precision, or his own father, who taught him street smarts.

A knock on his door broke Charlie out of his musings.  He sighed and glanced up from the boxes.  "Come in."

Fred Gunn's head poked in through the door.  "Charlie?"

"Morning, Mom," he replied with a smile.

Fred frowned a bit, pushing into the room and examining her son.  "You're not dressed."

Charlie shrugged.  "It's Saturday.  No school."

"Training," was all Fred needed to say.

Charlie shot off the bed, rushing around the room, making mad grabs for his workout clothes.  "Oh!  Shit!  Sorry, Ma."

Fred giggled a bit as she watched her son hastily pull on sweatpants and a t-shirt.  "Not a problem.  Hey, care ta take your brother with ya?  I'm goin' with Cordy shoppin'."

Charlie frowned.  Ricky, his eight-year-old brother, had literally been bouncing off the walls since he learned of his cousins "specialness" and the demons they fought.  He had already been caught playing in the backyard with one of Gunn's spare stakes, acting like he was dusting a vampire.  Gunn had thought it hilarious while Fred had been reasonably distressed.  "You sure you want him down at the warehouse?  Thought you didn't want him to get any ideas?"

Fred sighed, then shrugged.  "Your father and I have spent a while discussing this with Bruce, Angel, Wes, Cordy, Xander, Anya, Willow, Oz, and Buffy.  If Ricky wants ta help, then who are we ta stop him?  I mean, I decided to help at Angel Investigations back when I came inta all this.  Ricky's his own person and will get the same deal that Di, Doyle, Liam, and JR will get."

With this proclamation came a loud thump from just outside Charlie's door, followed by an extremely excited squeal.  "I get a deal?!"

The door suddenly burst open as Gunn grabbed his youngest on the way inside.  "C'mere you sneak!"

Fred rolled her eyes, giving her husband a wry smile.  "I wonder where he learned it?"

Gunn ignored his wife, sitting the boy on the ground and turning him to face himself and Fred.  He pointed his finger at Ricky, giving him his best no-nonsense look.  "Yes, you get a deal, but we weren't gonna tell you for awhile.  But I guess now's as good a time as any."

Ricky was trying very hard not to bounce in place.  "Do I get to help Charlie and the others?  Kick butt?"

Gunn shook his head.  "No.  Not yet.  When you're fourteen, you can start training--"

"_YES_!!!"

Charlie groaned, knowing there would be no calming his little brother.

"_IF_," Fred began, trying to break through her son's ecstatic bubble, "and only if you work hard at it and do well.  Until then, you get bookwork."

Charlie blinked at the same time his brother scowled.

"Bookwork?" the brothers asked in unison.

Fred nodded.  "You're gonna study with me and Aunt Willow and Uncle Wesley and Mr. Howard.  You're gonna learn all ya can about demons, what they are and how ta fight 'em."

Ricky scrunched up his face in disgust.  "That sounds _boring_.  Why can't I go out _now_?  David's only eleven!"

"David is a warlock," Gunn pointed out to the boy.  "You're human."

"Maybe I'm a warlock!" Ricky protested stubbornly.

Fred raised an eyebrow.  "Think so?"

"Yeah!" Ricky stressed, not giving up.

Fred nodded, but the look on her face told Charlie loud and clear that his parents had already thought of this argument.  "Well, that's why you're gonna study magic with Willow."

Ricky's eyes became as large as saucers.  "I get to study magic?!  This is _so_ cool!"

Gunn gave the boy a stern look.  "It might be cool, but you have to remember that it's a secret.  One slip up, and we'll pull you, okay?"

"If I'm good, does that mean I can start training early?" Ricky pleaded, putting on his best puppy-dog face.

"Maybe," Fred replied, eyeing her son's clothes carefully.  "The only reason David's allowed is because he's really powerful and the big kids need him.  His brother and sister are already all trained up.  But he's only supposed to be training, not going out on Patrol.  Like others I know."

Fred and Gunn both turned to give their eldest a pointed look.  Charlie blinked for a few moments, unsure of what his parents were implying.  "Huh?"

"I had a chat with Willow this morning," Fred began, smirking a bit as the color started to drain from Charlie's face.  "Where did you say you were again last night?"

Charlie pointed up at the wall in an attempt to escape.  "Wow, look at the time!  I'm really running late!"

Fred scowled.  "I see you're beginning to pick a few things up from the others.  Charlie, promise me you'll be careful."

"Mom, I'm always careful," Charlie insisted, bending to give his mother a peck on the cheek.

"Aw, let up on him, Fred," Gunn teased, clapping his son on the back.  "Heard you and David and Jenny took on an entire nest.  By yourselves."

Fred's head shot up.  "A _nest_?!  Willow never said nuthin' about a nest!"

"It was a small nest," Charlie told his mother sheepishly.  "The others were right there the entire time ready to back us up if we needed it."

"Three!" Gunn nearly shouted, beaming with pride.  "By yourself!  You dusted three!  In the midst of a battle!  And Jake said something about David's life."

Charlie was blushing.  He could feel it.  He shrugged.  "It wasn't anything big."

"Big my ass!" Gunn continued, almost giddily.  "Bruce and Wesley have both agreed that with those kinds of results, you might be allowed out on group Patrols soon."

This caught Charlie's attention.  "Really?"

Gunn nodded.  "Yeah, but it won't help you to miss a training session.  Get going, boy!"

Charlie nodded, already halfway out the door.  "C'mon, Rick!"

The eight-year old didn't need to be told twice.  He flashed a wide grin to his parents.  "Later!"


	3. Part One: Come Together 3 of 4

Just one quick not, mainly a response to Gidgetgirl, and then we'll be underway, folks:

Of course Gidgetgirl, you can borrow Diana and whoever else you need, just e-mail me and I'll send you whatever you need!  Also, I know the accent is way off, but it's the best I can do (Yankee Bitch, here J).  Anyways, this story will really only revolve around the five main kids again (Jake, Brennan, Gavin, Ciara, Marnee) once it gets started and rolling.  If anyone hadn't noticed, I tried to put this one mainly in Charlie's POV (technically, third person limited to Charlie), and it's really just supposed to be an introduction to the other kids we hadn't met previously (Charlie, Joyce, Lexie, Diana, and Ricky).  Also broaden up Jenny and David for everyone.  I have to warn you now, though, that every last kid (well, maybe not J.R.) will play a significant role in this thing, but it's long enough to balance out.  Less mention in this one of the Scoobies, though.  They're just kinda…there most of the time.  But if you guys just stick with me and give me the benefit of the doubt, I hope it'll be well worth your time.

About here, I'll plug a commercial for Part Two of this series, Be Mine:  _It's Valentine's Day in Sunnydale.  Love is in the air, there's a party at the Bronze and…blind dates?  Coordinated by Buffy, Willow, and Cordelia?  Brennan would rather face a pack of demons then his mother's matchmaking skills.  But this time, he and his friends might have to face both…_

Did I ever mention I suck at summaries?

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Part One:  Come Together;  Chapter Three 

The warehouse was bustling with activity when Charlie and Ricky Gunn crashed in through the front doors.  Charlie quickly grabbed his seat at the huge table that everyone else had crowded around.  Ricky excitedly climbed into the seat next to him, the one usually reserved for Lexie.  The twin girl frowned at the eight-year-old, but didn't say anything as she and her father walked out of the small kitchen, arms ladened with pizza bagels.

Charlie gave the group a small smile as he accepted the breakfast pizza from Xander.  "Hey, guys.  Sorry I'm late."

Buffy shrugged as she immediately started to pick the sausages off her pizza.  "No big.  Ready to get to work?"

"Yeah," Charlie replied eagerly.  He was the only one that was, besides Ricky.  Brennan, Ciara, Gavin, Jake, Lexie, Joyce, and Marnee all had looks on their faces to say that it was way too early for them to be up and expected to train at nine o'clock on a Saturday morning.  Jenny and David were both staring at the floor in a way that told Charlie that their parents had not been proud that they had taken on a vampire nest without their more experienced siblings, if at all.  Diana was scowling angrily at the pizza, ignoring her father's remarks about her almost non-existent weight.  The adults weren't overly pleased to be there.  "What are we doing today?"

Jake gave his friend a small smile, though his eyes were rimmed red from lack of sleep.  "You'll be working with Bruce.  Moving on up to the crossbow."

Charlie grinned.  "Cool.  Where's Aunt Dawn and the boys?"

"J.R. is at day care," Angel explained.  "Dawn took Doyle and Liam this morning, said something about a surprise."

"What about me?" Jenny asked curiously.

"You're with Gavin," Xander told her through a mouthful of pizza.

Jenny's face fell.  "Sense training?  But I wanted to work on fighting."

"No arguments," Bruce countered softly but sternly.  "You've gotta learn to get your extrasensory perception under control."

Wesley looked down the table towards the youngest Osbourne.  "David, you're going to be with Jake and Willow."

"More magic?" David groaned.  "Why can't I do combat training?"

"You will," Bruce said dismissively.  "From what I've heard, you and Jennifer will need to step up your hand-to-hand training."

David's mouth dropped open as he stared at Bruce in shock before rounding to glare at the older teens.  Jake shook his head wildly.  "We didn't say anything!"

"No, Buffy did," Bruce once again replied.  "Marnee, Ciara, Brennan, you're all three with Spike and Buffy today."

Ciara rolled her eyes before laying her head down on the table.  "Joy."

Bruce ignored the girl's statement.  "Joyce, you have weapons training with Angel."

Joyce smiled over at Angel who nodded back.  "Cool."

Bruce smiled, glad that at least one of his charges would accept their assignment without complaint.  "Lexie, if you would refocus your efforts at--"

"Please, don't," Lexie cut him off quickly.

Bruce shook his head.  "Lexie, I'm sorry, but you cannot go on with this unreasonable phobia."

"That's what a phobia is!" Lexie shouted in frustration.  "Unreasonable!"

"Fear of antique furniture is not a reasonable fear to have!" Bruce shouted right back at the twenty-one-year-old.  "Now go on.  You'll be working with your mother, who has worked long and hard to get over her own fear."

Lexie snorted.  "Over?  Yeah, right, watch this.  Bunny!"

Anya shrieked, diving behind Xander.  "Where?!"

"What about me?!" Ricky asked, unable to contain his excitement.  "Pop said I was gonna start today!  Like the others!  I'm supposed to start learning demons!  And I can learn magic!  Then, when I'm fourteen, I can fight like Charlie and Joyce and Lexie and Jake and David, he's only _eleven_, and--"

"Ricky, you're going to go with Wesley and Diana," Bruce cut in quickly, rubbing his left temple.

"Really?!" Ricky exclaimed, once again bouncing.  "Didja hear that, Uncle Wes?!  We're gonna start, Di!"

"Yippee," Diana muttered sarcastically.  The girl was dressed in her usual grungy clothes, looking very uninterested.  "Listen, the squirt here wants to do this.  I, on the other hand, could care less.  Why do I have to stay here on a nice day like this and do this stupid stuff?  The park's open today and I wanna hit the ramps."

Joyce rolled her eyes, grabbing a cup of coffee and motioning to an area of the mats.  "Hey, skater-girl, you mind getting your board out of my work area?"

Wesley chewed his lip, unsure of what to do.  "Diana, pumpkin, we've been over this--"

"You ain't surviving in this family without your basic demon education," Charlie cut Wesley off, giving the girl who was like his sister a stern elder-brother glare.  "Your pop's a Watcher, they're the Warriors, your mom's a demon, and you now live on the Hellmouth.  You have to learn your basic demonology and defense."

Diana scowled, turning to frown at the table.  "I didn't ask for this."

"Neither did we," Jake muttered, grabbing David by the collar and pulling the boy towards their mother in the lounge.

The group dispersed, the routine now normal for them.  Every Saturday, they would meet at nine, argue over who got to do what (sometimes Bruce and the adults won, sometimes the kids won), then they'd spend the next four hours training.  Afterwards, the adults would go back to whatever it was they did, and the kids would split up.  Diana was always to be seen at the skateboard park.  Lexie usually went shopping.  Charlie almost always would go to the library.  Brennan, Gavin, Jake, Marnee, and Ciara would head for Main Street, looking for lunch.  Jenny would either go with Lexie or join Joyce in her walk about town.  David would go home, too angry at whatever mistake he made in training to do anything but fume.

Training was something to dread.  They had it everyday.  Four hours on Saturday, two on Sunday, and an hour before and after school on the weekdays.  Patrol was a nightly adventure, though the only ones technically allowed to go were Lexie, Joyce, Jake, Brennan, Gavin, Ciara, and Marnee.  Most times, a few of the adults would go with them.  Sometimes, they couldn't be found.

Charlie was dragged to a side of the weapons area.  Bruce went on and on about the technical aspects of the crossbow.  It was over an hour before Charlie was even allowed to fire one.  At first, his shots were ugly, but after a bit of practice, Charlie began to make steady progress.

Ciara, Brennan, and Marnee took up the majority of the matted training area.  Marnee and Brennan sparred, both looking for a workout, while Ciara fought angrily with Spike.  Buffy observed both fights, correcting what little needed to be corrected.

Joyce and Angel were in the corner, going over various aspects of different weapons.  Lexie was screaming at her mother in the kitchen.  David and Jake were working on more advanced magics with Willow in the lounge.  Diana was banging her head on the table as he father droned on about various demon excrements and how they could be used to identify the demon.  Ricky was soaking up every word Wesley uttered.  Bruce was trying to observe everyone's progress.

To most of the kids, this was nothing.  Lexie, Joyce, Jake, Brennan, Gavin, Ciara, and Marnee mainly looked upon this time as workout time.  Charlie made steady progress in fighting.  David was becoming proficient in magic, making up for what his hand-to-hand combat lacked.  But Jenny…Jenny couldn't for the life of her use her sensing ability when she meant to.

Every day it was the same.  A few people would take a seat behind the fourteen-year-old and wait while she tried unsuccessfully to feel who they were.  No one could get her to do it.  Not Anya, not Lexie, and definitely not Joyce.  Gavin, her instructor for the past three days, was having as little success as those that had come before him.

Two hours later, Gavin was at his wits end.  He couldn't get his sister to sense anything.  He kept rotating people behind her, pulling them from their own training.  Watching Ciara sit on the mat behind Jenny, picking at her nails, he knew it had come to the end.  "Okay, Jen.  Reach out with your senses.  Feel the Force flowing around you."

Jenny's eyes popped open in outrage.  "Gavin!"

"What?" he asked nonchalantly.

Jenny stomped her foot angrily.  "That's from those movies Dad made you watch over Christmas!"

Gavin shrugged.  "Well, yeah, but it still applies."

Jenny smacked the boy hard on the arm.  "I'm never going to learn how to do this right if you don't take it seriously!"

Gavin backed away from the girl, rubbing his arm.  "Okay, okay.  Ow!"

"Please?" Jenny asked desperately.  "I don't want to work with Lexie or Joyce again.  Lexie's too nice about everything and Joyce is like a drill sergeant."

Gavin sighed then nodded.  "I'll teach you right.  Now, come on.  Just feel.  It might help if you close your eyes.  Feel yourself, your energy, then push out beyond yourself.  Out into the whole warehouse, the whole of Sunnydale, the whole world.  Can you sense it now?"

Jenny bit her lip, brow wrinkled in concentration.  "I guess.  I feel you.  You feel familiar.  Like home.  And behind me I can feel…Is it Spike, Ciara, and Diana?"

"Thank god!" Ciara called out, jumping up to her feet, followed quickly by Spike.

"I did it?" Jenny asked, confused, then brightening.  "I did it!"

Gavin nodded, a sense of pride filling him.  "Good job, Jen.  Now, all we have to do is keep it up.  In no time, sensing will come as easy as breathing."

 At about that time, Cordelia and Fred crashed into the warehouse, looking panicked.  "Angel!  Buffy!"

Charlie dropped the crossbow, crossing the room towards his frantic looking mother.  "Mom?"

"Cordelia!" Wesley cried, rushing over to his wife.  "What's wrong?"

Cordelia leaned against the table, trying to catch her breath as slowly everyone in the room stopped their training and made their way over to the two panicked women.  "At…at the park."

Ciara scowled.  "The park?" 

"What's at the park?" Diana asked her mother curiously.

"Vampires," Fred replied, the one of the two not completely winded.  "Dozens, maybe hundreds."

Gavin frowned, glancing at the clock.  "It's nearly noon."

Fred shrugged.  "They're poppin' out of the sewers, runnin' for cover.  We started to follow, but we could see 'em in the shade.  There are a lot."

Bruce made a small choking sound, then ran to his day planner, flipping to a certain page.  He instantly paled.  "There's a solar eclipse scheduled for this afternoon."

Joyce sighed.  "Shit."

"Who was the leader?"  Willow asked, panic beginning to set in.  "There can't have been that many in one place without a leader."

"Remember the Master?" Cordelia asked.  When Xander, Buffy, Angel, Spike, and Willow nodded she continued.  "Well, this gal is about twice as ugly."

Angel frowned.  "A female?"

Spike looked over at his grandsire in concern.  "You don't think…?"

Angel sighed, shrugging.  "Could be."

Lexie watched the exchange in interest.  "Care to share?"

"The Master had a mate," Spike explained to the group.  "Just as old and powerful as he was."

Brennan dismissed their concern with a wave.  "Ah, the tougher they are, the harder they fall."

"No, the tougher they are, the harder to kill," Gavin corrected his friend.  "You're mixing your metaphors again."

Jake rolled his eyes.  "It's not a metaphor."

"Middle of the day at the park?" Marnee murmured, tapping her foot against the table leg.  "Fun feeding for everyone."

Diana scowled in confusion.  "They have to have a purpose for gathering together like that.  I thought Dad said they didn't much take to sharing, unless their sire or whatever…I think I'm getting confused again."

"No, that's right, Di," Lexie encouraged the girl, slightly impressed.  "Vampires might live in family units and nests, but they're fiercely territorial.  That many in one feeding ground is cause for major concern."

"Major concern, my foot," Ciara muttered, grabbing her brother's arm.  "We gotta go."

Brennan nodded and followed his sister as she headed for the door.  A small rustling behind him told him that Jake and Marnee were also following them.  The grumble that came indicated that Joye would be going with the group.  A small sigh indicated that Lexie would also be going.  The small crash had to be Gavin.

"Hold it!"

Brennan and Ciara froze, then turned to their mother, who had Gavin and Marnee by the backs of their shirts.

Buffy held fast to Marnee and Gavin, shaking her head slowly.  "That's way too many, even for you."

Brennan sighed and looked to their Watcher.  "Bruce, help us out--"

"I agree," Bruce said firmly, cutting Brennan off.  He looked around at his seven charges, all of whom appeared betrayed and insulted.  "The seven of you cannot take on over a hundred vampires by yourselves."

Gavin shrugged his shoulders, smiling playfully to try and ease the tension.  "Ah, we can take them."

"Not by yourselves," Willow replied with a stern look.

Ciara sighed and turned once more for the door.  "Well, if you're goin', let's get gone."

"Ciara!" Angel called out in frustration.

Ciara ignored her father and threw open the door to leave.  She only narrowly avoided running the man outside the door down.  "Going somewhere, little sister?"

Ciara's eyes went wide with delight.  "Connor!"

Brennan looked up sharply.  "Conn?"

Connor smirked smugly as he pushed past his sister and into the room.  Dawn followed, tugging Doyle and Liam by the hand behind her.  "Hey, everyone.  Guess what I found?"

"Oh, my god!" Ciara shouted as she pulled her eldest brother in for a bone-crunching hug.  "Oh, we missed you!"

Connor laughed, kissing the girl's forehead.  "I missed you all, too."

Brennan joined his siblings, cuffing his older brother on the shoulder.  "Connor.  It's been a long time."

"It has at that," Connor agreed, clapping Brennan's arm.  "I hear you two have been keeping secrets."

Ciara snorted.  "We aren't the only ones.  What is it you do for a living again?  Foreign arms inspector?"

Connor rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he turned to his father and stepmother.

Liam rushed forward to Ciara, tugging on her shirt and holding up a wooden flute.  "Look, Sissy, we gots presents!"

Connor approached his father, examining his tense frame closely.  "What is wrong?"

"We've got a gathering going on in the park," Angel murmured, though loud enough for everyone to hear.

"A gathering of what?" Dawn asked, joining her brothers-in-law's sides.

"Vamps," Buffy replied.

Dawn scowled and looked up at the sun-filled window.  "But--"

"Eclipse," Connor muttered.

Dawn stopped.  "Ah."

Buffy looked down at Doyle and Liam, both of who were attempting to play their wooden flutes.  They were not being successful.  Taking the time to glare at her stepson, who shrugged sheepishly, Buffy then looked up to the pair of women who had been their warning.  "Fred?  Cordy?"

Cordelia nodded in understanding.  "We'll take them."

"J.R. is at the day care on Maple Street," Anya told the two women, wringing her hands in worry.  "That's near the park."

"We'll get him," Fred assured the ex-demon.

Cordelia turned to Doyle and Liam, turning on all of her bright charm.  "Hey, guys!  How about a trip?"

Doyle scowled, moving closer to Connor's side.  "Wanna stay with Bub!"

"Connor will be here when we get back," Fred told the boy with a forced smile.  "Want to go to LA?"

The boys still did not look happy.  Sighing to herself as she acknowledged the plight, Cordelia used the secret weapon.  "We could go to Gatti-World."

Doyle and Liam lit up.  "Mr. Gatti's!"

Fred glared at Cordelia for a moment before gathering the twins up.  Cordelia sighed again, dreading the night to come.  "We'll call tonight."

And with that they left.

Connor watched them leave with a frown.  "Nice to know I rank just under pizza and pinball to them."

"Who is going?" Wesley asked with a bit of trepidation.

Willow and Xander paused for a moment, looking to where David and Jenny were waiting anxiously by the table.  They turned to look at each other, holding one anothers gaze for several moments.  Finally, Xander sighed.  "Everyone."

David and Jenny both sighed, neither looking sure whether they should be happy at this vote of confidence or upset that they were going to be joining the battle.

Connor nodded his approval.  "We'll need all hands."

Gunn frowned, putting a protective hand on his nine-year-old son's shoulder.  "But--"

"Crap," Wesley muttered when he realized the group had forgotten to send Diana and Ricky away with their mothers.

Ricky bit his lip hopefully.  "We could fight--"

"NO!!!"

Ricky lowered his gaze to the floor as everyone in the room, teens and adults alike, cut him off with their sharp replies.

Charlie sighed.  "We can't leave them here, can we?"

Spike shook his head.  "What happens if a group comes here to try and neutralize us and finds them unprotected?"

"Well, we need to protect them!" Joyce shouted in dismay.

"One person can be the key in battle," Connor murmured wisely.

"Then let's just let my little brother ride off into battle and get himself killed," Charlie mumbled, frustrated.

"They can be our eyes," Connor suggested.  "The park has several trees, many I've consecrated myself.  They'd be completely safe."

Oz nodded slowly.  "It would be useful."

Gunn and Wesley exchanged a long glance.  Then Wesley sighed.  "Never tell their mothers."

"Yes!" Ricky shouted, resuming his excited bouncing.

Brennan sighed.  "Let's go."


	4. Part One: Come Together 4 of 4

A/N:  I'm sorry this is taking so long.  This fic is my baby, so I'm getting really picky about parts before I post them.  I'll try to do better I swear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Battles are always fierce.  Charlie knew that from personal experience.  He had been in what he considered several battles.  He had killed two demons and several vampires.  Of course, they were almost always one at a time, the exception being the first nest he had taken the night before with Jenny and David.  But he had always considered the little things battles.  They were hard and uncertain and very trying.

Well, if those little things had been battles, then this was hell.  A park full of people.  A literal army of vampires.  All led by a thousand-year-old Master vampiress that was bent on taking the Hellmouth for all it was worth.

Jake had told Charlie stories.  Stories about how he and the others had stopped the end of the world.  Lately, his mom and dad had been more open about their own experiences.  Charlie had figured they'd exaggerated.  They hadn't.  But even though Charlie knew they hadn't, he also knew this apocalypse was a little bit different than the ones his family had battled in the past.

For one, there were dozens of spectators.  The people of Sunnydale had been at the park en masse that day, since it had been bright, sunny, and cheerful until moments before.  Keeping them alive was very hard, almost impossible.  It was inevitable that they lost a few, Charlie knew that.  But keeping the humans alive while trying to keep himself alive was definitely not fun.

Second problem had to have been Ricky and Diana.  They were eight and twelve for god's sakes, and they had no training at all.  True to Connor's plan, they did the only thing they could do.  They put them in a tree consecrated with Holy Water, shoving as much Holy Water, garlic, stakes, and crucifixes into Diana's hands as she could carry.  Charlie had to laugh at the girl's quick mind, though.  The little skater-girl had no fear.  All through the battle, she would climb out on limbs and douse any vampire she could reach.  She also grabbed any child that came her way and pulled them up to safety.  Ricky caught on quickly, and tried to help as best he could.  Though, by the grin on his face, Charlie knew his little brother saw the battle more as entertainment than anything else.

David, at eleven, was the youngest one actually fighting.  And was he fighting.  Wesley kept him close, directing his use of his crossbow and magic.  They remained on the outskirts of the fight, picking off the stragglers that tried to run or had the idea to attack the people on the sidelines.

Jenny, at fifteen, was the next youngest.  She and her elder sister's were the right flank.  The twins were Charlie's best friends.  He had, of course, seen them in action before, but _hell_!  They were deadly together, the perfect duo.  Poor little Jenny barely had anything to do as she picked off the very few vampires that got past her sisters.

Jake, Brennan, Gavin, Ciara, and Marnee were, of course, the front line.  Joined by Angel and Willow they took on the heart of the group.  They were cutting their path straight through the demonic creatures, right to the heart of the army.  They were lethal.

Oz, Anya, Spike, Buffy, Gunn, Xander, and Dawn were at the opposite end of the pack of vampires, making their way forward.  The plan was, Charlie assumed, to meet in the middle.  It was working well, though it looked like they weren't going to be exactly centered.

Charlie, himself, was with Connor and Bruce.  In theory, they were the left flank.  In reality, Connor was the left flank that used Charlie as support.  Bruce was more or less dead weight that just happened to get off a few lucky shots with the crossbow he had.

The battle was brutal.  Two hours after it began, the front lines made it to the vampiress leading the attack.  Brennan and Angel killed the female together.  With their leader gone, the pack panicked.  After another twenty minutes it was over.  

The audience that had gathered dispersed, muttering about gang wars.  Wesley helped Diana and Ricky down from their tree.  Completely exhausted, the group found their way to an abandoned ridge.  They all sat there, on the ground, completely exhausted.

Charlie lied back, watching as the reappeared sun started to dip downwards in the sky.  He hurt all over.  His back was sore, his arms wouldn't move, and his right ankle wasn't working right.  He tried to flex it, but stopped when a flask of heated pain shot up his calf.

Gavin Harris sat beside him, wiping his dust-covered form to no avail.  He sighed, rolling his shoulders.  "Well."

Willow Osbourne was beside the boy, stretched out on the ground, panting hard.  "Yeah."

Diana Chase-Wyndam-Pryce, her view on the situation now changed, picked at her nails.  "Huh."

Lexie Harris nodded absent-mindedly.  "Mm hmm."

Ciara Angel shifted.  "Um."

Bruce Howard winced, holding his side.  "Ah."

Brennan nodded.  "Yep."

Oz continued to stare out into the world.  "Wow."

Jake Osbourne sighed.  "Wow pretty much sums it up."

Anya Harris wrinkled her nose in distaste.  "I personally don't ever want to do that again."

Ricky Gunn surprised the group by nodding tiredly in agreement.  "Not me."

Joyce Harris scowled.  "Take a number."

Marnee Osbourne smirked at the girl at her side.  "Get in line."

Buffy Angel sighed.  "I'm getting too old for this."

Spike snorted.  "You're too old?  I'm pushing two hundred and fifty."

Angel chuckled darkly.  "I'm older."

Dawn Summers forced a smile.  "Well, let's look on the bright side."

Charlie Gunn scowled darkly.  "Bright side of what?"

Connor Angel shrugged.  "We're done for tonight."

David Osbourne sat up sharply, staring at the man incredulously.  "Tonight?  Don't you mean forever?!  I think we just wiped out the entire vampire population in the state!"

Xander Harris grinned wistfully.  "So young."

Charles Gunn nodded his agreement.  "So naïve."

Wesley sighed knowingly.  "We stopped this group, yes, but it's only a matter of time before the next group moves in."

Jenny Harris' eyes went wide.  "There's more?"

The laughter of a unified family echoed through the park.


End file.
